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Megaport Documentation
Planning Your Deployment

Planning Your Cisco MVE Deployment

This topic provides an overview of the provisioning process and describes deployment considerations for the Megaport Virtual Edge (MVE).

Appliance modes

Cisco MVE offers two appliance modes that determine how you configure and manage your deployments:

Appliance Mode Features
Autonomous
  • Includes access to the Cisco IOS XE functionality for full routing capabilities
  • Configured in the Megaport Portal or API
  • The user provides an SSH key to access the router
  • Does not require SD-WAN
SD-WAN
  • Supports Cisco IOS XE SD-WAN functionality
  • Configured using Cisco vManage
  • The user provides a cloud-init file that is generated automatically by vManage and uploaded through the Megaport Portal or API

Important

You select the appliance mode when you configure the MVE. After you select a mode and deploy the MVE, you can’t change the appliance mode.

Deployment considerations

This section provides an overview of the MVE deployment options and features.

MVE locations

For a list of global locations where you can connect to an MVE, see Megaport Virtual Edge Locations.

Sizing your MVE instance

The instance size determines the MVE capabilities, such as how many concurrent connections it can support. The MVE instances are consolidated into these sizes:

Autonomous mode - where the MVE is created in the Megaport Portal

Package Size vCPUs DRAM Storage Megaport Internet Speed *
MVE 2/8 2 8 GB 8 GB Adjustable from 20 Mbps to 10 Gbps
MVE 4/16 4 16 GB 8 GB Adjustable from 20 Mbps to 10 Gbps
MVE 8/32 8 32 GB 8 GB Adjustable from 20 Mbps to 10 Gbps
MVE 12/48 12 48 GB 8 GB Adjustable from 20 Mbps to 10 Gbps

* Megaport Internet access is symmetric, redundant, diverse, and includes DDoS scrubbing protection. Megaport Internet access is adjustable through the Megaport Internet connection that you attach to the MVE.

SD-WAN mode - where the MVE is created in vManage

Package Size vCPUs DRAM Megaport Internet Speed *
MVE 2/4/500
(aka Small)		 2 4 GB 500 Mbps
MVE 4/8/1000
(aka Medium)		 4 8 GB 1000 Mbps
MVE 8/16/5000
(aka Large)		 8 16 GB 5000 Mbps

* Megaport Internet access is symmetric, redundant, diverse, and includes DDoS scrubbing protection. Megaport Internet access is adjustable through the Megaport Internet connection that you attach to the MVE.

Note

Up to 5 vNICs can be ordered when the MVE is created in the Megaport Portal. When the MVE is created in vManage, the sizes come with only one vNIC. For more information, see vNICs.

These performance and capacity metrics are estimates and your speeds will vary. When choosing an MVE instance size, keep in mind these items:

  • Any increase on the network data stream load can degrade performance. For example, establishing secure tunnels with IPsec, adding traffic path steering, or using deep packet inspection (DPI) can impact the maximum throughput speed.

  • Plans to scale the network.

What if I need more MVE capacity in the future?

You have a couple of options:

  • You can provision another MVE instance and split the workload between the two MVEs.

  • You can provision a larger MVE instance, migrate connections from the old MVE to the new larger MVE, and then retire the old MVE.

Security

MVE provides capacity to and from your internet-enabled branch locations securely, to any endpoint or service provider on the Megaport SDN. CSP-hosted instances of partner SD-WAN products route critical traffic across the Megaport SDN, reducing internet dependence. Traffic remains encrypted and under your policy control while traveling across the Megaport SDN, to or from, MVE.

Each MVE subscription includes distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack protection for no additional charge.

Licensing

You bring your own Cisco Interconnect Gateway (Cisco Catalyst 8000V Edge Software) Smart License for Cisco for use with MVE.

The Catalyst 8000V license is part of Cisco DNA and is based on bandwidth tiers. New customers need a Catalyst 8000v license with Tier 2 bandwidth (DNA-C8KV-T2-A-SDCI) for small and medium MVE instances, or a Catalyst 8000V license with Tier 3 bandwidth (DNA-C8KV-T3-A-SDCI) for large MVE instances.

If you already have Catalyst 8000V licenses and subscriptions, MVE requires Cisco DNA Premier or Cisco DNA Advantage subscriptions and Tier 2 (for small and medium instances) or Tier 3 (for large instances) bandwidth.

You can order the solution through Cisco partners, who can order all components through Cisco Commerce Workspace (CCW).

For more information, discuss licensing with your Account Manager and refer to the Cisco Catalyst 8000V Edge Software Ordering Guide.

VLAN tagging

Megaport uses Q-in-Q, also known as 802.1ad nested VLANs, to differentiate between customer MVEs on a given host hardware system.

vNICs

Each MVE can have up to 5 vNICs. An MVE is created with 1 vNIC by default. You can add up to 4 more, making a total of 5.

Before specifying the number of vNICs on your MVE:

  • Be aware that the number of vNICs can’t be changed after an MVE has been ordered. Decide in advance how many vNICs to specify when you create the MVE.

  • Consult your service provider to make sure that functionality won’t be affected if you add a vNIC.

Note

If you need to change the number of vNICs after an MVE has been ordered, you will have to cancel and re-order the MVE.

Last update: 2024-04-15